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Latest News
18th March 2010
Fern hopes love of music will help her hit the right notes
A BLIND pianist, whose love of music has been inspirational in turning her life around, is appealing for help to make her musical dreams a reality.
Fern Baker – who lives at Muir Group Housing’s sheltered scheme Elizabeth Court in Peterborough – dreams of having her music heard by a wider audience and landing a classical recording contract, but lacks the business skills to make it happen.
Fern is currently receiving help and advice from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and Action for Blind People, but is hoping somebody local might be able to help promote her talent further.
“Music is my passion and is the best job I could ever have,” said the 49-year-old.
“Last summer I was getting assistance from a jobs advisor in Peterborough who helped me prepare a CV and biography and my husband has helped me record a demo CD.
“I would love the chance to play more around the Peterborough area and set up my own website where people can download my material and find out about the kind of music I play. My dream would be to land a classical recording contract.”
Fern’s love affair with music began at the age of six when she came home for the weekend from a residential school for the blind that she attended, to find a piano sat in her living room.
After stunning her family by playing a nursery rhyme at the first time of asking, Fern quickly learnt how to compose her own music and had lessons from the age of six until she was 16.
So far she has written more than 13 classical pieces – the first when she was just 12.
Barbara Bromley, Muir Group Housing manager at Elizabeth Court, said: “Fern is a very determined and independent lady who puts 100 per cent into everything she does and it would be amazing if she could fulfill her dreams.
“Despite being blind she doesn’t let that hold her back. Fern is part of the heartbeat of Elizabeth Court and as well as being the chairperson of the residents’ friendship group, regularly entertains us with her stunning accordion skills.”
With total blindness in her left eye and very partial sight in her right, Fern struggled to adapt to office life when she became an audio typist in the mid-80s and after a few months of stressful working, left her job.
Wanting to pursue her passion, she landed a job as a pianist and for the past four and a half years has been a regular at Harriet’s tearoom.
Learning all her music from her vast CD and tape collection, she provides customers with a musical backdrop of everything from 1920s dance band to the sounds of Glenn Miller and Frank Sinatra, but can also play music from other genres.
Fern’s hope now is to play more venues around the city.
Anyone interested in speaking to Fern can contact her at 01733 348713.
